This 2014 report from the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders highlights both the recent progress made as well as the continuing unmet needs of diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The report notes the continued growth of the Asian American and Pacific Islander population, the fastest growing racial group in the U.S. By the year 2050, one in ten of the U.S. population will be Asian American and Pacific Islander.
The report describes significant, ongoing needs in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in terms of educational attainment, small business and economic growth opportunities, health equity, and commonsense immigration reform and immigrant integration. The report also highlights unique issues and challenges for Asian American and Pacific Islander youth, women and girls, refugee, and faith communities.
Over the past four years, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has built a stronger federal infrastructure to respond to these community needs, through an Interagency Working Group, agency-specific implementation plans, and most recently, regional interagency working groups. These federal government activities have focused on increasing federal workforce diversity, improving language access, and disaggregating data. The report also notes the significant work being done by state and local Asian American and Pacific Islander commissions, and through organized philanthropy.
The outgoing Commissioners provide their recommendations to federal departments and agencies on all these issues, as well as recommendations for increased engagement by Asian American and Pacific Islander communities themselves.
I provided significant research and writing of this report through a contract with the U.S. Department of Education, which houses the White House Initiative for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The White House Initiative staff also contributed to the writing, and edited the report. I was honored to also be the principal author of the first report from the inaugural President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 13 years ago.
Ignatius Bau 